FSEM Response to the Leng Review 

By 21 Jul, 2025 | 1 min read

The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM) welcomes the publication of the Professor Gillian Leng’s independent review and commends the thorough and independent approach taken to examine the roles of Physician Associates (PAs) within the NHS. 

We are pleased that this review has been conducted with such clarity and transparency, and we support its recommendations aimed at ensuring safe, effective, and clearly defined roles for PAs, supported by improved training, public understanding and workforce planning. 

Following the publication of the Leng Review, FSEM will now begin developing its own guidance to support the integration of PAs within Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM), across our three core fields: 

This work will ensure that our guidance reflects the highest standards of patient care, professional accountability, and interprofessional collaboration. 

We remain committed to ensuring that all healthcare professionals working within SEM are appropriately trained, supported, and regulated, and that patients receive care that is safe, effective, and evidence-based. 

We look forward to contributing to the ongoing dialogue around the future of the PA workforce and to supporting the implementation of the review’s recommendations in a way that strengthens the NHS and benefits patients.